In the medical field, it has widely been customary to apply radiation to a subject, to convert radiation that has passed through the subject into a radiographic image with a radiation conversion panel, and to acquire the radiographic image from the radiation conversion panel. One known form of radiation conversion panel is a stimulable phosphor panel for storing radiation energy representing a radiographic image in a phosphor, and retrieving the radiographic image as stimulated light emitted in response to application of stimulating light thereto. The stimulable phosphor panel is supplied to a radiographic image acquiring apparatus, which performs a process of acquiring the radiographic image in order to obtain the radiographic image as a visible image.
In operating rooms or the like, it is necessary to immediately read radiographic images from radiation conversion panels, which have captured the radiographic images, and to display the radiographic images in order to treat subjects (patients) quickly and properly. Radiation conversion panels that have been developed to meet such requirements include a direct-conversion-type radiation detector, which employs a solid-state detector for converting radiation directly into electric signals, and an indirect-conversion-type radiation detector, which employs a scintillator for converting radiation into visible light and a solid-state detector for converting the visible light into electric signals.
Certain medical organizations incorporate a radiographic image capturing system having a plurality of radiation detecting devices with radiation conversion panels employed therein (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-073462 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-219586).
It may be assumed that all of the radiation detecting devices of such a radiographic image capturing system include therein direct-conversion-type or indirect-conversion-type radiation conversion panels (hereinafter referred to as “FPDs” (Flat Panel Detectors)). A process of applying radiation to a subject and acquiring a radiographic image of the subject from such radiation conversion panels will be described below.
First, a doctor or radiological technician selects one of the radiation detecting devices, and makes the FPD of the selected radiation detecting device ready to store electric signals (electric charges) converted from the radiation.
Then, the doctor or radiological technician places a subject (patient) between a radiation source and the selected radiation detecting device. When the radiation source applies radiation through the subject to the radiation detecting device, the FPD converts radiation that has passed through the subject into electric charges and stores the electric charges. After radiation has been applied to the radiation detecting device, the radiographic image acquiring apparatus acquires the electric charges stored in the FPD as a radiographic image representative of the subject.